UAD SOLIDARITY MESSAGE To the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as it holds its 11th National Delegates Conference

The United Action for Democracy salutes Nigerian workers on the occasion of the 11th National Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) taking place at the Abuja International Conference Centre, on February 9-11, 2015. The trade union movement has been a force for improving the working and living conditions of the working people, and for the deepening of democracy, from the period of anti-colonial struggle to the current era of neoliberal capitalism.

This delegates’ conference is coming at a crucial moment for the working class globally and in Nigeria. The worldwide crisis of the capitalist system which started in 2007 has not abated. The bosses have been doing all they can to make the poor working people bear the burden of attempts to kick start an elusive recovery. Austerity measures are their infamous solution, which have however only made life worse for the immense majority of the human race while the wealth of the few rich and powerful has increased such that today, 66 persons own as much as half of the 7billion people on earth own.

Coming closer home, the global crisis is now imparting gravely on the economy through the channel of a sharp fall (of over 50%) of oil prices. The federal government’s official turn to a pathway of austerity does not bode well for the working class. The polity equally sits on a keg of gunpowder as the most keenly contested presidential elections ever has polarised public opinion further with the recent shift in the dates of the general elections.

All these underline the critical role of leadership which the NLC (and the Trade Union Congress) have to bring to bear in the unfolding period, for the defence of workers’ rights and in pursuit of the goal of social transformation. The gamut of motions being proposed to the Congress-in-session for resolution reflects the trade unions understanding of the challenges ahead. The need to: combat casualisation; voluntary merge unions for them to become stronger; forge closer relations with the civil society movement; fight for more and decent jobs, and; deepen international working class solidarity, for example are indeed very germane, at this point in time.


United Action for Democracy, the pan-Nigerian coalition of radical civil society organisations supports the revitalisation of the trade union movement which the consummation of these motions in practice would bring about. We seize this opportunity to stress that, in our own humble opinion, consistent mass mobilisation along the lines of social movement unionism would be pivotal to ensuring such consummation of the laudable goals that NLC appears set to pursue over the next four years.

We equally urge NLC to revert back to the its subsisting “Labour and Politics” policy as ratified by its 8th National Delegates Conference in 2003 to build a workers’ party on the basis of a socialist programme. The Labour Party as it is today, does not and cannot represent Nigerian workers. Its politics and ideology are no different from those of the bosses. Thus, it can only help to further the continued exploitation of the working people by the ruling class, rather than serve as a spear in the hands of the oppressed, to break their chains and “bring to birth a new world on the ashes of the old” as the words of Solidarity Forever acclaims.

 UAD was formed at a period when the NLC’s national structures had been proscribed by the General Sani Abacha junta. Since the “new beginning” of organised labour in 1999, in the wake of the reinstatement of civil rule, UAD activists have maintained a robust relationship with NLC at the barricades, in the struggle of the working people against injustice and unpopular policies of the bosses.

As NLC rejuvenates itself at this historic Congress to better face the battles that lie ahead, UAD pledges its comradely solidarity. We shall criticise in good faith where we sincerely find actions of Congress questionable in our view, as we did after the January 2012 general strike was called off mid-stream. But we shall never lose sight of the commonality of our aim for system change and the leading role of the working class in achieving this. The working people united and determined cannot be defeated.

Long live NLC!
Long live UAD!!
Forward to system change!!!



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Baba Aye

National Convenor

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